The New Rich Kid
by thejokirliveson
Summary: Cliché rich kid vs. poor kid story…with a bit of a twist… I hope it is… In any case, read and review please. Enjoy! (slight hiatus as laptop is being repaired)
1. Chapter 1 - The Arrival Of The New Kid

JoKir: This fan fiction is the cliché rich kid vs. poor kid story…with a bit of a twist… I hope it is… In any case, read and review please. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh, nor anything else mentioned in this fan fiction, belongs to me… except the OCs… they're mine.

Chapter 1 – The Arrival of the New Kid.  
_-Atem-_

Domino; a simple little town. Almost like something out of the beginning of a Pokémon game. There are two sets of schools in the town: the private Sakura Academy, which is a preschool, primary and high school combined in the same grounds, and the Domino public schooling system. The preschool and primary school are combined on one side of the road and the high school is across the street. There is only one university – Domino University. All the rich kids, who would have been educated by the prestigious Sakura Academy so far, would be accepted into Tokyo University almost immediately. The rest were expected to aim for Domino University or nothing. I hated the predestination of it…

Maybe because I wasn't one of the rich kids… My name is Atem. Atem Sasaki. I am the son of a single mother and the bastard of one of the richest men in Tokyo. Of course, he doesn't want to know a single thing about me and my "whore of a mother"… his words, not mine. I only ever tried to find him once… those were part of his parting words… I was nine. I'm now sixteen and Domino has been the routine of my life for so long, I can't remember a time when I wasn't living here. Though Mama assures me there was a time where we lived in Tokyo and a time we wandered from town to town, I can't dredge up the memories. Maybe I've tried to forget them for so long, they've disappeared. Though why I'd want to remember I'm not sure… who'd want to remember being shunned by his father and the possibly lonely days growing up. No, to me ignorance is bliss.

So I lived in Domino City, though calling it a city was a stretch, hating that my only course was Domino University, but not having the money or the friends to change it. Not that I needed friends anyway, anyone who got close looked at me funny anyway. An illegitimate child wasn't common in Domino; in fact, I think I was one of two in a town of at least 400 people. Maybe it was three, I can never remember. So somewhat poor and definitely friendless, I powered on, trying for something out of my reach… until one day, I met this boy and everything changed. But the day before it was what started the whole mess…

On this day, everything was normal. I'd shouldered my backpack after getting dressed in the school uniform and had taken the steps two at a time like I had since childhood. I'd checked my breakfast plate was washed and in the drying rack before I'd jogged out the door. My mother had waved goodbye from the rose garden, knowing I was now too big for goodbye kisses, and I had waved a vague goodbye in reply. I'd walked the somewhat long distance to school and entered the gates around 8:30… that's when everything was flipped upside-down…

I'd just dodged a couple of sneering jocks when a flashy, black Mercedes drove up the school drive. Whoever was in that car was rich, which raised questions, the most obvious being: Why would a rich kid come here? I shrugged it off and walked into the massive school building. Who cares…? I certainly didn't. Unfortunately those who don't care are often forced into it. After walking into the school building I had quickly been targeted and shoved into a locker next to the principal's office. Great. I just sunk to the bottom of the locker to wait out my time until the janitor found me. This had happened before, not because I was short or smart or poor or even because I was gay… I was just easy – and apparently fun – to shove in a locker. Go figure. It was as I felt my tailbone begin to hurt that I was forced into the whole situation anyway.  
"… Don't worry Mr Mutou. You're son Yugi won't be bullied here for his sexuality. Our school supports all ethnic, gender and sexual groups…" the voice of the principal floated into my range of hearing and out again. Yugi Mutou… son of the CEO of Kame Gaming Corporation… was gay?  
"Well… that certainly explains a lot of things," I murmured to myself. Especially why a rich kid like him would be enrolling at Domino High… Sakura Academy students would shun him for something like that… It was right then and there I realised I'd been forced into knowing… Crap. This wasn't going to end nicely. And I was right. But it didn't happen straight away.

I didn't see head or tail of Yugi Mutou that day, though I did see the black Mercedes once more at the end of school. Maybe his first day was tomorrow, though I found it pretty strange to start a new school on a Thursday. I would have gone for a Monday… maybe a Tuesday… either way it was his choice. In the end, he didn't start until the next week, when we were being assigned assignment groups… but that's later…

Right now I was on the way home from school, walking the somewhat long distance home. People of all ages rushed around me: kids and teens on their way home from school or heading to the arcade or cinema, adults returning home from shopping or going out to do something, elderly people shuffling along, minding their own business… I just went with the crowd until I reached a low-set, two-storey house cream-panelled house… otherwise known as home. I stared at the black slate roof and the matching rock edging around the garden beds and smiled. I could remember no home other than this. I unlocked the front door with my keys and entered, closing the door but leaving it unlocked for when Mama came home. I took the stairs two at a time, racing up them to drop my bag in my bedroom. Then I bolted back down them and slid in my socks into my favourite armchair to watch cartoons until my mother came home.

I knew when my mother came home. The first words she uttered were, "Yami baby, I'm home!" I raced out of the lounge room to greet her, slamming into her as I slid on the hardwood floors in socks and hugging her. She just laughed. This was another thing I'd been doing since childhood. I grinned up at her and she smiled back down.  
"Macaroni cheese and pork for dinner?" I asked, hopeful. She sighed and then nodded.  
"Why not…? I was thinking Chinese… but…" I frowned as she dragged out the last word.  
"I'm all up for Chinese," I replied. She smiled down at me again and raked her slender hands through her hair.  
"Good. I don't feel like cooking," she grinned. I grinned back. As she walked away to find the phonebook and the Chinese takeout menu, I watched her and just thought. Many people who'd know both my mother and my arsehole of a father had told me I was more like Mama. I was grateful for that. I don't think I could stand looking in the mirror and seeing my father… Mama disrupted the train of thought chugging around my head. Her grin was so familiar… it was the same one that spread across my face moments later… the slight crookedness of it, showing the straight front teeth and the slightly too pointy incisors.  
"It'll be here in a few minutes," she told me, shooing me into the lounge room. I turned my head as I dug my heels in so she had to actually physically push me.  
"That soon?" I asked, a little cockily. I was winning this physical fight. She grunted as I dug my feet in a little deeper. I grinned at her. She rolled her eyes back at me. Then the doorbell rang, Next thing I knew her hands were off my shoulders and I was leaning too far back. I fell backwards as she disappeared to answer the door. I was dusting myself off, still on the floor when she came back. The cocky grin that was on my face before was now on hers.  
"I think I win," she grinned. I relented, gave her the win and dove for my share of the Chinese…

After the Chinese had mysteriously disappeared into our stomachs, Mama began watching the news. I curled up in my armchair and kept reading the novel we were studying in English. Surprisingly it wasn't Romeo and Juliet… I thought every high school in the world had to suffer through that. I wasn't complaining though. Tired of reading, I studied Mama. Her dark hair framed her youthful face and highlighted her high cheekbones. Her darker red eyes were focused on the TV and her slightly turned up nose scrunched a little as she concentrated. I smiled and rose from my chair.  
"I'm going upstairs…" I told her. She smiled slightly and nodded. I walked out the room with a backward glance. My mother really was beautiful… too bad she'd been a teenage mother…

I considered just what my conception and birth had done for everyone in my life as I sunk into a steamy hot bath. I suppose it had effected my mother most of all. Her family had somewhat disowned her, her lover had wanted nothing to do with her and the university degree she was working on went down the drain fast. She'd always told me she never regretted keeping me. But sometimes I think she would be better off without me – not so stressed, not so tired… not so poor. But the past is the past, something I can't change… and anyway, we're well enough off that we lived just fine. I slipped out of the now lukewarm bath, into my pyjamas and stared at myself in the mirror. I'm skinny but well-muscled, willowy… and short. I touched the mirror with thin fingers and looked beyond. My tri-colour hair, which is red, black and blonde, stood up in spikes and my red eyes were hidden behind glasses. Speaking of which, I pulled off the thin, silver-framed oval-shaped glasses and lay them on the wooden side table. I glanced around with slightly blurry vision at the light blue walls and hardwood floor that I couldn't remember not having. I slid into bed, switching off my light. Today had been strange….

Little did I know that stranger days were on the way…


	2. Chapter 2 - Normal Until This Day

JoKir: This is Chapter Two of the fic "The New, Rich Kid" now known from now on as TNRK… New characters introduced in this chapter… *silver-framed glasses slid this way* Uh…. On with the story?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except the OCs…

Chapter 2 – Normal Until This Day  
_-Yugi-_

Domino City was my birthplace. It was also my home until I was three years old. The only things I could remember were the yellow walls of my nursery and the new kid at the park a week before we left. A kid with curious eyes and a crooked grin, dressed in blue. But we left that park and the small little town of Domino behind for the hustle and bustle and rush of Tokyo, where Father was a businessman and Mother was a housewife and I was a Grade A student. Naturally I was schooled in the best schools money could buy and Tokyo could offer… So why was I back in Tokyo then, if life was the best there? Only Father could answer that question and he never gave it to me…

But either way, no matter the answer, we were back in Domino and trying to settle into a town that had grown and changed without us. I was quickly enrolled in Sakura Academy, but after finding it not as prestigious as once was, not to mention a slight problem with my sexuality, I was transferred to Domino Public High School. It was here I was meant to continue my schooling with an easy assurance from my father that it didn't matter, that I still held a place at Tokyo University despite it. I never had the heart to tell my father that wasn't what I wanted. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what I wanted at all….

Not until I met him. Or rather, met him again. He'd grown in the odd 14 years since I'd left but it was certainly him… the kid with the curious eyes and the crooked grin who'd been dressed in blue. Except now, curious eyes were hidden behind silver-framed glasses and his clothes weren't the same blue… at least that grin stayed the same…

But I'm getting ahead of myself… My name is Yugi. Yugi Mutou. I'm the son of two loving parents and the brother of two younger siblings. Both happen to be boys… I don't know how but three boys were born to people who had both come from a girls-majority family. Either way, in the hierarchy of siblings there is me, the only child to be born in Domino City, then Makoto, who is the middle child and about fourteen and then Hisoka who is eleven and the youngest. Makoto and Hisoka are enrolled at Domino Public School also, Makoto in the high school and Hisoka in the primary. I found it strange that Domino place middle school in two separate places, 7th grade in the primary and 8th in the high school but, Domino is Domino…

And in Domino, sometimes it pays to let people know who you are. However, this wasn't the time… Sakura Academy rumours were still floating around so Father told me to say as quiet as possible. Which meant the non-descript, blue Holden Sedan to take Makoto, Hisoka and I to our first day of school. I sat in the backseat with Hisoka, brushing his strawberry-blonde hair out of his eyes as I talked to him. Hisoka, shy as he was, never raised his amethyst eyes from his pale hands. I frowned, worried for him. This would be the first time that neither Makoto nor I would be in the same school grounds as him. I felt nervous, not for myself, but for him.  
"Hisoka…" I asked slowly. Finally his sharp chin tilted up and soft eyes blinked at me. Hisoka was really taking after Mum…  
"Yes, big brother?" he replied. In the front seat Makoto snorted and flicked his head to look out the window. I glared at the back of his head. Hisoka blinked at him.  
"Just be brave about this, okay?" I told him as I turned back to face him. He nodded slowly.  
"I know… then next year, Makoto will take care of me and you'll be in Tokyo, right?" he answered, clenching his pale hands.  
"No… didn't you hear? _Big brother_ doesn't want to go…" Makoto sneered. I sighed, knowing the rough treatment was Makoto's way of dealing. He was the one affected most when we moved from Tokyo, losing all his friends. Neither Hisoka nor I had had to say goodbye to as many as him. 

"I don't know what I want Makoto, and that's just fine." Makoto rubbed his dark hair, ruffling the fine strands and sighed. I glanced between my two younger brothers. With black hair and green eyes, Makoto was the perfect mix of Mum and Dad, and nothing like Hisoka. Hisoka's colouring came from Mum and Grandpa instead. Both boys were dressed in the public uniform – Makoto's was like mine, navy blue jacket and pants with the white dress shirt beneath – whereas Hisoka's was the navy shorts and white shirt with the navy lapels and buttons. As the car pulled up at the primary school, Makoto shifted in the front seat. I slipped out of the car and lead Hisoka up to the gate.

"Will you be alright?" I asked him slowly. He nodded and waved to a boy with brown hair and kind grey eyes. I sighed and clapped his shoulders gently.  
"The driver will pick you up this afternoon… Makoto too…" I smiled. Hisoka nodded.  
"And you?" he asked as I turned away. I shrugged.  
"I may just walk… later Hisoka…" I waved. Hisoka waved in reply. I smiled back at Makoto who was slipping out of the car.  
"Let's do this," he sighed. I nodded and we crossed the road together. When we reached the gate, however, we split our separate ways with identical sighs…

After grabbing my timetable, I headed towards my first classes – which happened to be Maths. Not my strongest subject, and therefore not the best one to start the day with. But, oh well, beggars can't be choosers. I walked down the hallways from the principal's office until I found Room 2-C and slipped inside. The teacher glanced up, greeted me with a nod and then turned to the class.  
"Now that our new student is here, maybe we can start our lesson," the teacher sighed deeply. I glanced over him. He was taller than me, which wasn't saying much, and middle aged, his hair starting to turn grey and thin. His eyes were a solid mud brown and completely disinterested. I looked around at which textbook everyone was using, or at least had opened, and dug it out of my backpack. This was going to go swimmingly…

After the first two classes had passed, it was time for lunch. I made my way to the cafeteria, waved a vague hello to my younger sibling. He pushed his way over to me and half-smiled.  
"Your classes?" I asked quietly.  
"Absolutely bullshit… yours?"  
"Pretty much the same… at least I understand this Maths…" I replied with a smirk.  
"Well, I had English and Second Language Studies… it was…" he paused, waving his hand around as he looked for a word.  
"Bullshit?" I asked with a grin.  
"Bullshit," he conceded. He grinned right back at me and steered us to the tuckshop line. We picked up trays and moved down the line, grabbing whatever looked alright, and paid at the end. Makoto picked his tray up first and headed for an almost empty table. The only person sitting there was adjusting his glasses. I smiled.  
"Alright if we sit?" I asked.  
"You're the new kid; it's the only place _to_ sit. Came too late to fit in at the popular table…" the boy replied and cheeky, crimson eyes locked onto me. It was then I realised that he was the kid from the park. It was only reiterated by the crooked grin that came a moment later.  
"Your brother can sit too," he added, tilting his head. Makoto grinned at him.  
"You're alright, for a nerd," he laughed. The boy tilted his head a little more.  
"You're alright, for a rich kid," the boy replied, straightening his head. Makoto just laughed but I burred up slightly.

"What do you mean by 'rich kid'?" I asked grumpily. The boy frowned.  
"Well, you're rich, anyone can tell…" the boy shrugged. "You're uniform is new and immaculate… so is your backpack, and your textbooks. Only the rich or fairly rich kids can afford that…"  
"Unlike you," I snapped back, my mouth getting ahead of my brain. The boy's lips thinned.  
"Not everyone can be rich; for people to be rich, there must be poor," he replied as he stood up. "But frankly, I don't care. You're still all stuck-up pricks to me." He was only slightly taller than me and willowy. I could take him. I sent a punch towards his jaw and he jumped back in reflex. Fists began flying and I couldn't keep track of it all. I remember a fairly solid blow to the boy's nose and taking a solid blow to my jaw. Next thing I knew, we were being pulled apart. Strangely enough, Makoto was tugging the boy back instead of pulling me. I looked back to find a blonde hair, amber-eyed boy holding me.  
"Let go of me," I snapped. The blonde boy just grinned.  
"Although Atem probably said something to provoke you, you did throw the first punch," he grinned, his voice thick with a Brooklyn accent. He looked up at the other boy. "Though you probably deserved it, idiot." The boy, Atem I assumed, just tossed his head. The rest of the cafeteria was settling around us, having been geared up by the fight. 

"Both of them up to the principal's office," a nearby teacher called. But Atem didn't move. Instead he was looking at the broken glasses in his hand. He glared at me then shoved them in his pocket. He swayed slightly, squinting his eyes. I belatedly realised he probably needed his glasses constantly to see. He kept a slow steady pace but he was quickly dropping behind. I placed my hand on the back of his shoulder, guiding him. He growled softly but I hissed back at him, "Just deal with it or you'll crash into a wall." He rolled his eyes but didn't throw my hand off. I sighed deeply. What a way to start school, I decided, as I walked down the hallways, my hand on the other boy's shoulder. During the walking, Atem pulled his glasses out and cradled them in his large hands. Yet despite their size, they were slender and delicate. A silver ring, in better condition than anything else Atem owned, was on the middle finger of his right hand. He glanced up at me and frowned, tucking both his glasses and his right hand in his pocket. His left soon followed into his other pocket.

In the principal's office, I removed my hand from Atem's shoulder. He seemed to shake his entire being, just to remove the feeling of my hand from his skin. I frowned at him but he directed his gaze toward the ground, squinting intently at the laces in his sneakers. However his sharp chin jutted out in quiet defiance. This quiet defiance reminded me of Makoto whenever he was in trouble… it was another thing to add to the things I knew about the boy from the park. I turned to face the front as the principal strode in and sat down at the desk. The principal was a male here, as I knew from the school interviews, which brown hair, brown eyes and a kind look. But I knew could be stern. And so did Atem apparently, for the quiet defiance lessened slightly. But only slightly… The principal must have known Atem well for he rose, stood in front of him and leant down slightly.  
"Atem, what am I going to do with you?" he asked kindly. Atem just moved his head to the side. The principal laughed.  
"Ah, I remember when you first came to use in primary school Atem. Just as stubborn, just a touch more defiant…" The principal shook his head. "But we have to sort out this mess…"

I sighed deeply, "I started it, Principal Hanato… I threw the first punch…" The principal nodded as he returned to his seat.  
"Yes, but if I know anything about Master Sasaki here, he most likely let his tongue get ahead of his head and said something to provoke you… I will dismiss this fight… on the condition you make friends. Agreed?"  
"Agreed," I replied.  
"Agreed," Atem seemed to grit out. His hands were in his pockets again. I knew he was playing with his broken glasses yet again.  
"You may leave," the principal smiled, shooing me and steering Atem out.

After leaving Mr Hanato's office, I turned to Atem. He was looking sadly at his glasses again.  
"Y'know, these were the only ones that still helped… I can't…" he murmured.  
"Can't what?" I asked calmly. He looked up as if remembering I was there, and then glared deeply at me.  
"I can't afford it," he snapped. "You think if I could afford glasses I'd be using an old pair with the wrong prescription for my current eyes?" Then he turned on heel, storming off and nursing his broken glasses. I felt guilt rise up, choking me. I probably just broke the only pair of glasses he had, by the way he was speaking. It actually made me feel sad. All my life, everything was bought new each year – backpack, school equipment, clothes and games, anything really. I couldn't really imagine having to reuse anything for more than a year. I knew I'd had a privileged life… I shook myself. I knew the best way to apologise to Atem now. I slipped my mobile phone out of my pocket, rang home and placed an order…

Atem was standing outside the gates, fiddling with his wallet, when I found him. I'd taken the start of second lunch to run down the optometrist to receive my order. Luckily they'd had the right glass and frames there. The case, with them inside, sat heavily in my pocket as I jogged up to him.  
"Your last two classes, were they alright?" I asked him, a little out of breath. He frowned at me. His eyes tightened as he squinted.  
"Not exactly," he grumbled. "I managed however." He rolled his shoulders and tilted his head back.  
"You're in my Maths class," he sighed. I frowned, thinking back to this morning.  
"I am… I…" the bell rang at that moment, cutting off the end of my sentence. Atem pushed himself up off the gates, tucked his wallet back into his satchel and turned to head down the road. I glanced across the road, spotting Hisoka entering the Holden Commodore from this morning. I waved at the driver then shook my head, signalling no pickup. Then I jogged after Atem. He'd walked a great distance in the time, but I quickly caught up. He acknowledged me with a slow nod.

"Any real reason you're going my way?" he asked, crooked grin in place. I'd come to learn that the crooked grin he gave could mean almost anything. Today it had meant both annoyance and cheekiness.  
"Uh, yeah…" I replied, ever so eloquently. "Look, I'd like to apologise…" Atem stopped and frowned at me. I took this as a signal to continue.  
"I… uh…" I swallowed and sighed. "I didn't mean to swing. I apologise. And… I didn't mean to break your glasses…" I stopped as I heard as chuckle. Atem was covering his mouth, but it was definitely him.  
"You don't apologise much do you?" he chuckled.  
"Never really socked anyone in the face before," I replied, with a slight grin. He fell into full blown laughter then, crooked grin erupting out of happiness this time.  
"Alright, fair enough then," he grinned. I smiled in return, digging in my pocket already.  
"But… uh…" I shrugged and pulled out the glasses case from my pocket. "Here…" Atem took the glasses case from me and opened in, frowning as he did so. His eyes widened dramatically after he saw what the glasses case contained.  
"Uh… are these…" he began asking.  
"Your proper prescription… in the closest frames I could find," I replied slowly.  
"Dude, I saw these frames… they're designer frames, worth over $200! My glasses were only $80-priced frames at most!" Atem protested angrily. I shrugged, putting my hand up to stop the return of the glasses. Atem pulled them back and frowned at them. Then he frowned up at me.

"You're not trying to buy me, are you?" he grumbled, keeping his hand open. I shook my head, letting the blonde bangs fall in my face. I flicked them back after a moment or two.  
"Not trying to buy you or your friendship… it's just an apology," I sighed. "Take them or leave them." Atem glanced down at me and then sighed. His finger curled around them, smiling gently.  
"It's a bloody expensive apology," Atem grinned. He slipped them on anyway, the wire- framed glasses suiting him. They made him rather attractive… I blushed lightly and turned away. Atem blinked at me through his new glasses.  
"These are perfect," he smiled. "Thank-you." I nodded and began walking toward the park. I wanted to sort out these new feelings I had for the boy from the park. However my elbow was caught and I was steered around the corner and across the road. Atem grinned down at me, his new glasses flashing brightly. Behind the glass, his eyes shone just as bright.  
"So," he grinned, pulling me into the town's only park and stopping, turning to meet me. "Let's start this again." He offered his slim hand out in the beginning of a handshake.  
"My name is Atem Sasaki," he smiled cheekily. I took his hand and gave it a light shake.  
"Yugi Mutou," I responded. "But think I like our first meeting better…" The smile turned into the increasingly familiar crooked grin, then into laughter.  
"You know what," he laughed. "Me too." He began walking toward the swings and only stopped when he noticed I wasn't following.  
"Well?" he asked, grinning. "I don't expect your life story, but make a little conversation, eh?" I blinked at him as he kept walking.  
"I thought we were meant to be being friendly," he added over his shoulder. His crimson eyes met mine and I noticed something – he may have forgiven me, but he hadn't forgotten. And there was something else swirling in those eyes… he wasn't ready to trust me yet…

I could deal with that. And so I walked forward, and then gently gave him a shove as I ran toward the swings. He laughed playfully and shoved me back as he reached closer. When we reached the swings, we were both heavily breathing from a mixture of the laughter and the exercise… mainly the laughter though. Atem threw himself into a swing, pushed himself off the ground and simply _swung_. I sat beside him.  
"I feel like I kinda owe you," Atem sighed. I frowned at him.  
"You owe me nothing," I responded, frustrated. He shook his head, smiling. I noticed a small dimple near his mouth when he did this, and wondered if it grew bigger when he grinned.  
"Not even an apology?" he questioned, smile still in place. But I knew this was a sad smile… the corners were pulling down ever so slightly. I got the feeling Atem would smile to stop any other emotion displaying on his face, and that made me wonder why.  
"Maybe an apology," I relented with a small smile. He took a deep breath, like he was going to say a speech and came out with the amazing gems: "Sorry I was such a dick." Needless to say I nearly choked on my laughter.  
"You're forgiven," I replied, still trying to catch my breath. He thumped me on the back a couple of times then began swinging on his swing again. But just as he worked up enough speed, a little girl who was no more than four walked up, her parents slightly behind. Atem jumped off his swing immediately and offered it to the little girl. Her blue eyes lit up like it was Christmas. Atem nodded to the parents and began walking away. I hurried to follow him. Before I could say a word or ask a question, he muttered: "I know what it like to go without. It no thing a child should feel." Then he smiled sadly and waved.  
"See you tomorrow at school?" I asked. He nodded and turned away.  
"Yeah, see ya there."

I watched his back as he left the park, his shoulders curling in when he thought I couldn't see. I sensed Atem had had many hardships in life; some of them he shouldn't have had to bear, I'm guessing. Looking at him, I could tell he'd at least been subjected to bullying at some point… but the hardships left bigger markers than the bullying did… and there they were, clear as day, as soon as Atem let them show. And with a sinking feeling my stomach, I realised my heart wanted to wipe all those hardships away. Because, damn it all, I think I was falling in love with Atem Sasaki…

When I finally reached home, my parents rushed for me and hugged me tight. Mum's green eyes bored into me as she flicked strawberry-blonde hair out of her face.  
"Where were you?" she sighed, her slight American accent coming through. I smiled at her, shaking my head.  
"Just making a new friend…" I sighed. "We were talking for so long I lost track of time."  
"Well dinner is on the counter for you," Dad replied, his hazel eyes following me.  
"Thanks… I'm going to take it up to my room…" I answered softly. I wasn't ready to deal with my parents at this moment. Nor did I want to talk to my siblings, so I took the indirect route to my bedroom…

As I entered, I lay the tray on my bed and slipped into the ensuite bathroom. Sinking into the deep tub, I began to think, to replay the day. I only got out when the water went too close to cold for my liking. Getting dressed and eating went by in a blur and soon I found myself watching TV with no clue what I was actually watching. Something about an angel and a man named Cas… in fact, I was beginning to think the two things were related when Hisoka entered my room.  
"Big brother?" he whispered. I nodded at him and he came in, blinking at the TV.  
"I made a new friend today too," he whispered excitedly. I smiled at him, catching his amethyst eyes.  
"Oh really," I asked. "What does he look like?"  
"He's kind of short like me and he has black hair and crimson eyes. He's also kind of tan, like he's out in the sun a lot… And his name is Benjamin. Benjamin Sennen!"

If I'd known then what I knew know that name would have sent alarm bells ringing… but at this time I had just smiled and nodded.  
"I met someone today too. His name was Atem. Atem Sasaki." Hisoka blinked at me and then smiled.  
"I bet Makoto met someone today too!" he laughed. I nodded, chuckling.  
"Mr Popular? Oh course he did. And you can ask him tomorrow. Off to bed for now…" I chuckled. Hisoka nodded and left. Only moments later Makoto poked his head in the door.  
"Why does Sennen sound familiar to me?" he asked quietly. I frowned at him.  
"It sounds familiar to me too, for some strange reason…" I shook it off and bade my other sibling good night…

Had I known what trouble had been coming our way, I would have warned Atem…


	3. Chapter 3 - The Plot Thickens

JoKir: This is Chapter Three of TNRK, and this is where all the foreshadowing starts to come into play… Thanks for all the reviews and keep 'em coming eh? *smiles* I also thank AnimeZombieHunter and SareBear96; they know what they've done XD. And I apologise for the lateness of this chapter… it just wouldn't write the way I wanted it to… Anyway! Welcome to Chapter THREE!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the OCs.

Chapter 3 – The Plot Thickens  
_-Atem-_

I've been subjected to some pretty strange and downright weird drama assignments in my time at Domino High, but this one definitely takes the cake. It completely over-shadowed the class activity of "catch the story" which turned into something so close to a yaoi fan fiction that it needed to be M-rated. It sent the gender-switched class challenge into a whole new category. It made the group assignment, where we had to pretend we were in a mental asylum, just seem strange, instead of downright weird. In fact, the only thing that came close… was the interpretive dance about your own sexuality. Have you ever tried dancing about being bisexual? Not as easy as it seems, trust me. But this… this one was really doing my head in. It wasn't like I had a problem with the play…

_Rocks At Your Window_, which was the title of the play, was a depressing yet inspiring, ugly yet beautiful, rough yet gentle piece. It sounded rather contradictory to me. However those were the direct words of our Drama teacher, Miss Gallagher, as she swept to the front of the classroom, announcing our involvement in the play. She then dramatically strode around the class room, assigning us numbers and lines on pieces of paper. I blinked down at mine, studying the words. Beside me, Yugi was blushing, blinking at the teacher owlishly. His pale hands lay flat on the desk. I leant over slightly and he jumped.  
"Got some bad lines, did you?" I asked him quietly. He turned and blinked at me, nose inches from mine.  
"Something like that," he replied slowly, blush deepening. I kept blinking at him, not moving, and then narrowed my eyes. Yugi narrowed his eyes in return, and chuckled.  
"If we stay sitting like this for any longer, people might start thinking things," he whispered. He pretended to lean in more and I jerked back. He gave a soft laugh and looked down at his lines once more. Once sitting straight in my seat, I stared around the room, trying to settle my racing heart. Nobody was looking up, which meant nobody had probably seen Yugi's and my little moment. Facing the front however, I saw a slight smile on the face of Miss Gallagher. I hoped she wasn't smiling about us. The whole class knew of her tendency to "ship" her students. It seemed she'd focused on Yugi and I. I blushed and returned to the lines in front of me. I studied these deeply, avoiding the teacher's gaze. My lines weren't too bad, memory-wise… though I didn't understand how this line worked.

While I waited for Miss Gallagher to set up the theatre next door, I read over the "task-sheet". Normally we received a sheet that listed within rectangles what was required to receive the grade. In this instance, it was a single slip of paper that read: _To pass this assignment you will be judged upon two things. The first, and the most important, will be your own acting in the play. The second will be how the play goes as a group, which will be based upon the reviews from the viewers. _Below that the usual rectangles were there, split into two categories: _Personal Performance_ and _Group Performance_. I winced at the fact this would be judged as a group assignment. Despite the students in this class being a great group to work with, I still despised group projects. Beside me I heard Yugi sigh.  
"Group projects… wonderful," he smiled wryly at me. I nodded slowly, feeling the side of my mouth quirk slowly.  
"Well, at least I have you," he joked, tilting his hand towards me. I felt my cheeks heat a little and Yugi's went a little pink. Is this the moment you're meant to say something like "No Homo"? I'm sure it was… I stared at Yugi. He flashed a grin at me and turned his head to stare out the window. My answering grin was just a few moments too slow. As just I felt a strange little churning in my stomach, Miss Gallagher entered the class room, light brown hair swaying around her hips. Happy grey eyes twinkled at us as she faced the class as a whole.

"Alright, guys," she smiled. "The theatre has been set up." Many people rose to their feet immediately and rushed out the door. A few followed slowly, shaking their heads and chuckling. Yugi went slowly, packing his school equipment first before jerking his head at the door. I nodded in reply to the unspoken question. We exited the classroom door and took a sharp left, entering the back doors to the theatre. We stood just beyond the doors, in the hallway of the chairs, waiting for a direction. Miss Gallagher directed us one by one onto the stage, calling us by number. Some of the lines were acted by one person, some acted by two or more. I felt a sudden dread for my lines. It definitely wasn't a single act type of lines. I briefly wondered who my partner was before turning back towards the stage. Joey Wheeler was the single act on stage right now, blonde hair ruffled and lines threaded with his deep Brooklyn accent.  
"_I knew you were trouble from the moment I met you, but I couldn't stand to draw myself away. For who could resist an angel like you, my dear… but if only I had…_" he crooned and his eyes focused on mine as he continued. "_For if I did, my dear, we wouldn't be in this terrible mess… but what a lovely mess to be in, my dear…_" I poked my tongue out at Joey. I knew he was joking but it didn't stop the slight heat rising in my cheeks. He winked at me as our teacher clapped for him and I threw him a not-too-discrete rude gesture in return. Yugi snickered beside me, poking me in the side. I none-to-gently returned the sharp poke. It soon turned into a poke war that seemed to have no end, while Miss Gallagher wrote notes about Joey's performance. Then it was abruptly stopped when she called for numbers 4 and 5. Yugi and I stood in unison, and in unison I think we had the same thought.  
"Oh, crap."

Yugi attempted to snatch my piece of paper from my hand, hissing at me to give it over. I half-wanted to hand it to him, show him exactly what we were in for and take his in return, but another part of me screamed with embarrassment. The almost silent fight continued until we reached Miss Gallagher, who gave us a quick look and nodded.  
"Hurry up, boys," she said as she flicked a delicate hand at us. Yugi blanched and swallowed, jogging up the small flight of stairs. I followed him slowly, curling my hand into a fist around the paper lines. Yugi took his place at the far end of the stage as I took a quick glance over the lines on the paper once more. I belatedly realised that the lines were accompanied by stage directions. I quickly fit the stage directions into the remembered lines and faced Yugi on stage. Miss Gallagher nodded, uttering "Begin" and tapping her pencil on her notebook. Yugi began, placing his hand on my stomach, as per stage directions I supposed, and then reached out for me.  
"_Yami, I'm pregnant_," Yugi suddenly said to me, grasping my larger hand in his smaller one. "_And you're the father_." I blushed deeply as a couple of people, namely Joey cat-called and wolf-whistled in the crowd but continued on as if neither the line nor the response had affected me.  
"Oh, get out," I groaned deeply before continuing. "_This is the best day of my life, honey!_" I fake-smiled as Yugi moved into my chest and placed his hand on my pectoral. I wrapped my arm around his back, cursed these stage directions and leant in to hesitantly kiss the corner of his mouth. Then I hurriedly continued with the lines.  
"_We shall have the most beautiful child. We will move to the country and live there together… you, me… and our baby_." I pulled him in, close enough that our legs were touching, and placed a hand on his stomach, gazing deeply into his eyes. Yugi blinked back at me, blush rising in his cheeks. Wolf-whistles, cat-calls and all round clapping were heard as we stepped apart. Miss Gallagher was smiling this cheeky smile at us as she shooed us off stage.  
"Last few pairs up on the stage please!" she called. Yugi almost bolted to the back of the theatre, echoing my desire to escape everyone's look.  
"That was bloody terrible," I choked out. Beside me Yugi was nodding, head turned away. Little did I know I was in the worst was yet to come…

"All positions in the play are by name and the student acting the part is beside it," Miss Gallagher called about twenty minutes later. "Please congratulate our two lead actors Atem Sasaki and Yugi Mutou who will be playing the roles of Zack and Rowan respectively." A large round of applause broke out throughout the classroom. Miss Gallagher clapped along with them, reaching forward to pat our shoulders.  
"Now! Scripts are labelled with your character's name. I would like to find your name, your character and then your script. After all this, excluding our two mains, I would like you to read over and mark with pencil any times you have dialogue on your own." Miss Gallagher turned to Yugi and I.  
"You two," she continued, "already have this marked out for you. I want you two to find the dialogue you have together and read over it… together." There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes when she said the last word. We nodded slowly, showing our understanding. She clapped her hands and spoke aloud to everyone now.  
"After half an hour I will pull you back into a class and sort out which students should do group practises within school time." She glanced at Yugi and me, sending us a message with her eyes. We heard it loud and clear. She expected us to practise alone together outside of school. We soon broke away into our singles and, in our case, group. Yugi was pale as he stared at his script.  
"Why are you looking at it like that," I asked curious but wary. Yugi swallowed.  
"Because I know this script… you'll see when you read your pieces…" he replied thickly. He flopped into a nearby theatre chair and threw his arm over his eyes. I sat down beside him and opened it to one of the sticky-noted passages. I began reading aloud, picking a piece of Yugi's dialogue.  
"_Zack, trust me. Love is trusting, kind, and utterly blind…_" I blinked slowly and then kept reading. "_Which means I don't care who you are, or where you come from or even where you'll go if you left… what it means is I care for the man I see in front of me_… and then WHAT?" Beside me Yugi sighed a slow, agonised sigh and sat up.  
"Exactly, almost all the later bits are like this," he explained. I swallowed and sighed, closing my script.  
"If you thought the moment before was awkward, or even that one, try the start of Act Two…" he continued, his voice husky. I shook my head at him, tossing the script on the floor beside me and tucking my feet up on the chair in front of me.  
"Later, I don't think I can take another hit to my sexuality," I replied deeply. Yugi gave a short bark of laughter before picking up his script and flicking.  
"Don't worry, you're the bi-sexual one in this play," he laughed again. "I, however, am full-on gay and continuously spouting romantic shit."  
"Do you play, 'loves-me-loves-me-not'…" I asked, giggling. Yugi nodded and flicked open a page, showing me.  
"I play it with strands of hair that are scattered across your forehead…" he grinned back at me. I pushed my blonde bangs back and huffed at him. Yugi reached over and absent-mindedly tucked a small chunk of hair behind my ear. I poked my tongue out and blushed at him. He blushed back. We were gazing at each other until a voice broke us apart.

"Well, this is awkward," laughed a female voice. I groaned and dropped my head back onto the stiff theatre seat. Yugi was blushing and glancing between me and the two people standing in front of me.  
"I think it's kinda cute," a Brooklyn accent cooed. I glared at them from the bottom of my eyes. One was a slender girl, brown hair and blue eyes, with delicate hands resting upon her hips. The other was Joey Wheeler.  
"Joey," the girl sighed, brushing a hand across her forehead. "Don't do that to the new guy."  
"But look at them," Joey cooed again. "I mean Atem hasn't had a crush in how long?"  
"Never," I snapped quickly. "And I don't now." Joey raised his hands in defence, flicking blonde hair out of the way. The air was silent and thick enough to cut with a knife.

"So, I'm Rowan's best friend," Tea offered, attempting to start the conversation up again. Yugi just waved slowly then stretched out, reaching for his backpack. He grasped it between thin fingers and tugged. His bag tipped then lifted. He dug in it for a while.  
"I'm Zack's best friend," Joey added, shrugging a shoulder. I glared at him, flipping him the bird. He huffed at me, flipping one back.  
"Well you don't hold grudges for long, do you," Yugi chuckled as he finally pulled a grey pencil case out of his bag.  
"If I held grudges for a long time, we wouldn't be friends…" I replied. I opened the play script again, flipping backwards and forwards until a piece caught my eyes. It was a moment between Zack and Rowan, and I mean moment. I read the piece slowly, eyebrows rising as I went. However a blush stole over my cheeks when I remember I would have to do this with Yugi. This was some serious lip-locking. I swallowed and glanced Yugi's way, eyes falling upon his lips.

…_With lips like those, the kisses were like heaven…_

… _Don't you think such kissable lips should be a crime…?_

… _I could kiss your lips forever and a day, Rowan, and I don't think I would ever get sick of kissing you… _

I swallowed again as lines flitted through my head like butterflies. Then I tried crossing my legs, subtly of course, covering my little problem. I could deny it all I wanted but I was attracted to Yugi, at the very least, and really… I didn't want to think about the fluttering in my stomach, the burning in my cheeks, the prickling of the skin he brushed or my heart pounding away. I felt ready to burn up under his gaze, which was now turned my way.  
"Atem…" Yugi began slowly, reaching toward me. His hand settled on my arm as I stood and turned.  
"Bathroom," I grunted hurriedly and strode out the back doors of the theatre. Maintaining a steady walk I managed all of two metres when I broke out into a run for the boy's bathroom. I bolted inside the door, ran into the furthest stall from the door and slammed the stall door shut, bolting it shut behind me. Then I slammed the lid of the toilet down and sat on top of it, putting my head on my knees and panting heavily. My pants were still too tight for my liking and I focused on that first. However trying to calm down while stray thoughts of Yugi popped in and out of my head wasn't the easiest of tasks, so I leant back, groaning, and then tried to deal with my feelings.

Yugi was attractive, no doubt about that, not at all… but could I really be falling for him? I mean… how long had I known him? All of _two days_? Granted I've known about him for two _weeks_… but does that really count? No, definitely not. Yet here I was, falling in love and acting like a damn, lovesick fool to boot… I blame the play. I sat there for a while, feeling the tightness reduce little by little… until the outside door opened and a fist banged on the outside of my stall door.  
"Atem, are you alright, you've been gone for twenty minutes!" Yugi's voice called through the door and my pants tightened slightly again.  
"Yeah, fine," I replied, lying through my teeth. "I just had a zipper problem… these are old pants and the zipper likes to stick…" Well, at least that part wasn't a lie. I heard an affirmation from the other side of the door as I rose and undid the lock. Stepping out I came nose to nose, and nearly mouth to mouth, with Yugi Mutou, man of my dreams. More like problem of my pants… He blinked at me twice then stepped away, light blush flooding his pale cheeks. It really set off the tri-colour hairstyle and deep, amethyst eyes. I blushed, taking a step back and falling as my back hit the stall door. My head narrowly missed the toilet. Yugi blinked a couple of times, and then burst out laughing for all he was worth.

"Oh, my God, are you alright?" he asked through great whoops of laughter. I sneered playfully up at him from my position on my back and then, with his help, sat up.  
"I bloody well hope those floors are clean," I grunted as I got to my feet, grabbing Yugi's hand to pull myself up. Yugi shrugged.  
"It's a public school, I doubt it…" he replied. I made a disgusted face and he chuckled sweetly.  
"Wonderful, bloody wonderful," I groaned. Yugi gave another shrug.  
"It's almost the end of last period, I think you'll survive," he said, smile creeping through. I nodded slowly, then blushed with the realisation that Yugi and I were still holding hands.  
Damn it, I was turning into a _major_ lovesick fool now…  
"You sure you're alright?" Yugi asked slowly. "You're a bit red in the face." I wasn't confident enough with my voice to tell him that his face was fairly red too.  
"M'fine," I grunted deeply, shaking my head and pushing past to him to wash my hands.  
"Uh, Yami…" Yugi began, as the bell rang. We glanced at each other and then bolted back to the classroom for our backpacks. Part way along, the running became a race…

"I won," Yugi puffed. I waved him off, panting, and shouldered my backpack. Yugi pulled his backpack onto his back and shifted in so it balanced on his shoulders. I knocked it out of balance and jumped out of reach when he swung an open hand at me.  
"Get over here," he grinned. Poking my tongue out, I remained where I was, dancing out of reach.  
"Nah, I'd rather go home," I replied. Yugi playfully jumped at me, making me dash away a bit.  
"Go then," he laughed. "Do you want a lift?" After I shook my head "No" he walked off, waving. I waved in reply and turned towards home…

I managed to make it home at a reasonable time, after taking a couple of detours and running for half of it, but even then I was just meeting Mama on the doorstep. She blinked at me then frowned, pressing her free hand to my forehead.  
"Are you alright, baby?" she asked, feeling my entire face for a temperature.  
"I ran all the way," I huffed. She frowned deeper.  
"You wouldn't have had to run if you'd left school when the bell rung," she said, tone accusing. I swallowed deeply.  
"Atem Daniel Sasaki, this is the second time you've been home late," she lectured. "Now I don't mind you going out but I need to know where you are… you're not having unprotected sex behind the school shed are you?" I blushed deeply and spluttered.  
"Mama!" I finally yelped. She sighed, opening her mouth to continue. I put my hand over it.  
"No. Just no. Now please open the door before I die of embarrassment on the doorstep?" I growled. My mother frowned deeper then unlocked the door, stepping inside and holding the door open for me.  
"I just made a new friend, that's all," I sighed as I walked in the door. "We talk after school and I lose track of time…"  
"Sounds like a pretty good friend," Mama replied, starting to smile. I nodded slowly, smiling and blushing slightly.  
"Yeah, he's… amazing," I replied. Mama caught my chin and grinned.  
"Maybe he's more than a friend…" she suggested, eyebrows wiggling. I blushed deeper and shook my head. But after she stared me down for a bit I began nodding instead.  
"He's… cute. I mean…" I grunted in embarrassment. "Look, it may be something, it may not…" She nodded sagely then turned to the kitchen.  
"Macaroni and pork?" she asked as she turned away. I grunted in response, still thinking about Yugi. She didn't ask any more questions, nor raise the matter again during the night. Until the phone call later that night…

Mama picked up the phone when it rang and listened for half a minute before she smirked and handed it my way. I placed my hand over the receiver and began questioning her. She just shook her head, smiled and gestured to the phone.  
"Hello?" I asked warily, holding the phone a minute distance from my ear. "Who is this?"  
"You first," chuckled the voice on the other end of the line. It sounded familiar but I couldn't exactly place it.  
"Atem Sasaki," I replied slowly. I was still wary of the other person.  
"Yugi Mutou," the voice replied chuckling. I nearly dropped the phone in surprise.  
"How'd you get my number?" I asked, spluttering. Yugi now broke out in full blown laughter. I held the phone closer to my ear as he tried to gasp out his answer. He finally managed, now over his laughter, to say, "You are listed in the phonebook." I spluttered again as he chuckled quietly.  
"Very funny," I snapped quietly and he broke out in more laughter. I didn't really mind, it was sending wonderful shovers down my spine, even though it was phone call.  
"Was that your mum who picked up?" he asked as the laughter died down.  
"Yeah, that was Mama…" I responded. Mama turned to me, frowning.  
"Don't gossip about your mother," she playfully admonished, grin coming back to her face. I waved her off with a quick twitch of my hand and left the lounge room to stand in the hallway.  
"Anyway," came Yugi's voice from the phone once more, "I was wondering if you wanted to practise some lines tomorrow?" I nodded before realising he couldn't see.  
"Yeah, that'd be good," I sighed, brushing my hair back.  
"After school at the park alright with you?" he asked, rustling noises in the background. I had to wonder what he was doing. He made a small "Ah-ha!" noise as I went to reply.  
"Sorry, found something I was looking for… what was your answer?" I brushed my hair back, humming.  
"Sounds fine," I finally answered. Yugi's smile could be felt through the phone and sounded in his voice.  
"So, it's a date," he chirped. I blushed as Mama entered the hallway.  
"Yeah… it's a date…" I echoed slowly as my mother grinned at me and made a cooing noise.  
"Alright, I'll let you go then," Yugi happily said. "Cya tomorrow…"  
"Yeah, see you…" I answered as I hung up the phone. Then I turned to Mama and quickly snapped, "It's not like that." Her answering grin was enough.

Later, while I was soaking in the bath, I allowed the lovesick grin to spread across my face. Boy, I really was falling for this kid. I hummed as I slipped lower in the tub, water lapping at my chin. At that moment I thought tomorrow would be amazing. I didn't think it would be so…


End file.
